


Stick Next to Me

by orphan_account



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: And stubborn, Everyone else knows, F/M, Feelings Realization, Female My Unit | Byleth, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-Game(s), Rivalry, Soft Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Sylvain saunters in stage left, There's some depictions of battle but nothing major, they're both hella dense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2021-01-23 12:07:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21319921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: “Do you remember what happened at the Goddess Tower that night six years ago?”He furrowed his brows in confusion, but his eyes widened once he realized what she was referring to. A tinge of red graced his face. “...yes,” he scowled, “I remember.”“When you swore to defeat me?”“Yes...”“When you used the vow that people usually use for declarations of love to swear my demise?”“Okay, that’s enough.”-----Now that the war is over, Byleth has to slow down and assume her new role as a leader. However, the sudden shift in expectations have left her confused and worried. Her hands are itching for the rush of a battle despite the newly found peace, and she suspects that she's not alone in that sentiment.
Relationships: Felix Hugo Fraldarius/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 33
Kudos: 232





	1. Rivals?

**Author's Note:**

> This is only a month or two after Dimitri takes the throne? Probably? I don't really know I woke up in cold sweat with this in mind and had to get it out.  
I don't think I'm the only one that thinks that the romance endings could've been a liiiiiiittle more romantic... So here you go

Out of all the meet-up spots in the monastery, the sound of clashing steel made the training grounds the less than ideal place for a conversation. Though, Byleth realized, that may have been the point. 

The war had officially come to an end and people were swarming back to the church to take a look at their new leader. Though the celebrations were not lavish due to low supplies, there was an almost tangible feeling of joy and relief in the air. Despite this, Byleth couldn’t help but feel that she was out of place there. 

To go from a mercenary, to professor, to a church leader... That wasn’t exactly the career path she had in mind, though this caused her to wonder if she had one in mind to begin with. Thinking about her muddled, apathetic past made her uneasy, so she pushed it to the back of her thoughts again. 

It wasn’t unusual for her and Felix to train together, but in light of recent events, people were beginning to wonder why they would train at all. They were practically the only people to go there since the end of the war a month ago. It was a given that this was because they didn’t know Felix as well as she did, but his cold demeanour didn’t exactly help with the negative comments. 

Byleth mindlessly ran her hand across the handles of the wooden training swords left to collect dust in a bin. She fondly recalled the first time she and Felix sparred. He demanded that they use the steel swords because he saw no point in using the blunt wooden weapons. The sudden challenge threw her off a little, especially since she had only just begun teaching. She didn’t really know how to spar either, so Felix ended up thrown against the ground due to her poorly restrained strength. He was frustrated with himself, but she saw his eyes light up in excitement as well. “Finally,” He gasped out between laboured breaths. “A worthy opponent.”

She couldn’t help but laugh a little at the memory. Despite his initial cold impression, she found him to be quite sensitive at heart. His prickly personality made for some interesting interactions over the years and made the softer moments between them seem much sweeter.

That last thought caused Byleth to furrow her brows and she abruptly stopped her hand. Did she find him sweet? His whole demeanour screamed everything but sweet at first glance. They had their fair share of arguments because of his nature, but something about him kept her close. She admired his ambition despite the slightly harsh way of voicing it, and she wanted to be there to see him achieve it.

The sweeter moments would usually happen during tea. She insisted on it before or after every training session in an attempt to get him to relax a little. Though he usually complained about being dragged to tea, he never really made a move to avoid it, so she figured he actually enjoyed it and just was too proud to admit it. When he was a student, he’d always sigh and ask, “why am I here?” Nowadays, he didn’t complain at all and even greeted her with a slight smile. Something told her that smile was rarely seen by others. 

Byleth quietly laughed to herself again when she realized that the bar seemed really low. But she knew that, for Felix, the smallest actions spoke volumes. If she could have it her way, she’d want him to be a little more forthcoming, but the way he showed his contentment in her company was enough. 

“I’m here.”

Felix’s voice snapped her out of her reminiscing, and she became flustered when she realized she had been thinking only about him for the past few minutes. She cleared her throat and hoped that her face wasn’t advertising her last few thoughts. “Felix. Hello. Ready to train?” 

He immediately noticed something was off with her and raised a brow. “Yeah,” he hesitated a moment, “are you?”

Byleth nodded and rushed to grab a sword. She silently cursed for getting herself in an odd mood with all the nostalgia. Desperate to divert his attention, she asked, “how was your day today?”

“Fine.”

Well, that… certainly didn’t help. He was never really one for conversation, so she didn’t know what answer she expected. She fumbled with the hilt of the sword before turning to face Felix but, to her dismay, he was staring skeptically at her. 

“Your face is red. If you’re sick, you should have stayed in.” he sighed, finally averting his gaze. “It’d be annoying to be out the only capable training partner,”

Byleth’s head had been swirling with worries ever since the end of the war, but there had always been something nagging at the back of her brain since they reunited a year ago. Paying close attention to him was no longer just out of worry. Hoping that their next session would come early wasn’t to get extra training in. Felix had become an essential part of her life and she didn’t know how to feel about it. 

She was pulled out of her thoughts for the millionth time that day when she noticed Felix approaching her, hiding his growing concern behind a tight-lipped frown. “Don’t try to say you’ll be fine. Come on, I’ll walk you back to your room.”

“No. No, I’m really ok,” she tried to reassure him, trying to ignore the drumming in her ear. “I’m just a little anxious about... some of the changes around here.”

That technically wasn’t a lie, but Felix eyed her warily, holding his hand out and gesturing to the sword she had in her grasp, “that’s even worse. There’s no point in training if you won’t be able to keep a steady hand.” there was a beat of silence, as if he was mulling something over in his head. “We can just go straight to having some tea since you love that so much. I’m sure it’ll help with your nerves.”

Byleth couldn’t find a valid reason to refuse that wasn’t as embarrassing as, “I got worked up over memories of us,” so she simply nodded. 

This was an objectively worse place for her nerves. Sure, at the training grounds she had a literal sword in hand, but now she was trapped in her room with Felix for some quality, intimate, one-on-one time in a confined space. She bumbled around the room, pulling out treats and the container of pine tea she had gotten just for Felix. At the very least, going through the motions of making tea helped her calm down. She sat across from him, placing the fresh pot of tea down on the table. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t train today,” Byleth fiddled with her teacup, feeling guilty that remembering things got her so riled up to the point it rendered her useless. 

“Don’t apologize,” he muttered. “Just... get better soon... so we can go back to training.” He rushed out the last part like it was a last-minute addition. A familiar silence surrounded them as they both took a sip of tea. Byleth smiled to herself. Felix had an odd way to go about voicing his concern, but she got the hint. 

A memory that refused to be ignored suddenly popped into her mind that caused her to laugh and choke on her tea. The scene that transpired with Felix at the Goddess Tower 6 years ago was suddenly screaming for her attention. Felix shot up from his chair and made his way over to her side, alarmed. She tried to wave him off and gesture that she was ok, but the waves of laughter hadn’t subsided yet. Felix seemed to be at a loss for what to do, but quickly realized that she was just laughing at something. Annoyed, he grunted, “what? What’s so funny?”

Before she could help herself, she choked out, “Do you remember what happened at the Goddess Tower that night six years ago?”

He furrowed his brows in confusion, but his eyes widened once he realized what she was referring to. A tinge of red graced his face. “...yes,” he scowled, “I remember.”

“When you swore to defeat me?”

“Yes...”

“When you used the vow that people usually use for declarations of love to swear my demise?”

“Ok, that’s enough.”

He huffed in annoyance and turned away from her, but she could still see the slight blush creeping up to his ears. She had a feeling that he was reaching his embarrassment limit and immediately sobered up. The last thing she wanted to do was tease him so much that he left. “Do you think you achieved it?” She quickly asked, trying to pull him back to the table. 

That seemed to do the trick. He sat back down in his seat and tiredly met her gaze. He began stirring his tea mindlessly and muttered, “no, not by a long shot,” He continued when he noticed Byleth was going to interject with something disgustingly motivational. “Shouldn’t you know? You train with me every day, so why are you asking me?”

Byleth took a sip from her cup and began carefully. “I don’t know the exact requirements you have in mind. You’ve beaten me plenty of times now, but you still don’t seem satisfied,” she enjoyed the warmth from the tea for a moment before going on. “Makes me wonder if that was actually- “ 

_Wonder if that was actually what your pledge was. _ She stopped herself from continuing that thought out loud. The look on Felix face was inscrutable, but she knew he wouldn’t like what she was suggesting. 

“You’re a terrible rival,” Felix finally bit out after a long moment of silence. “You’re such a gracious loser that it makes me sick. The handful of times I _did_ beat you, you looked _ecstatic._ Rivals should detest me - to some degree - and, more importantly-“ he drummed his fingers on the table impatiently, “-have the same amount of drive to defeat _me_.”

Byleth looked on in surprise, mouth opening and closing in an attempt to wrap her mind around it. She was finding it hard to not take the things he said personally, but held on when she remembered that the last person he was determined to catch up to was his now deceased brother, Glenn. Maybe this situation with her as the nearly unbeatable opponent was too familiar to the one with his brother. 

Felix was genuinely the only “rival” she’d ever had. Not to mention, she'd only started experiencing deeper emotions after coming to the monastery, so she didn’t know how to act in general. In her mercenary days, her self-appointed rivals were just criminals looking to boast about defeating the Ashen Demon. There was no fondness there. This concept of _friendly_ rivalry was still very new to her. 

She didn't have to try as hard as he did since she was already ahead by default. Knowing his prideful nature, however, she sort of understood that that's where his frustration was coming from. It certainly wasn't that she never felt competitiveness, but she never really expressed it. Rather, it would quickly be overtaken with joy at his advancements. 

“I’m sorry,” Felix sighed out an apology before she could reply. “I didn’t mean for it to be accusatory.”

The way he was refusing to meet her eyes told her he was still upset, but he seemed to regret his outburst. “Maybe,” She hummed in thought, eyeing his face carefully. “Maybe rival isn’t the right word.” 

Felix looked up at her quizzically, so she took it as an invitation to continue. “I want to see you improve. I want to cheer you on. I get worried when you’re sent out on a mission without me, and when I’m on a mission without you, all I can think of is how much better it would be with you there,” she hesitated when she saw Felix’s eyes dart up in surprise, but kept going when she realized that this had been swirling in her mind for quite some time and needed to be said. “I’m not sure that’s the kind of rivalry you were hoping for.”

Now it was Felix’s turn to be at a loss for words. He was sitting stiff in his chair, his hands frozen in place on the table, and avoiding her gaze again. She couldn’t place what expression he was making, but she knew she had seen it somewhere before. 

Suddenly, the loud battering at the door caused them to jump up and swirl toward the sound. It was accompanied by a muffled yell. 

“Professor! Thieves have shown up in the village below Garreg Mach!”

Without another word, the two of them bolted out the door, nearly knocking over the guard who alerted them. They ran past frenzied civilians and soldiers to get to the stables. Byleth was a little ashamed to admit that she’d missed being on the front lines with her friends. It was so dangerous, and lives were at stake, but nothing could beat the rush of pride and relief when she successfully led and protected them. She knew Felix missed it too. 

A lot of cavalrymen were already in position, ready to depart, and it left very few stallions left. The captain of the cavalry nearly collapsed when Byleth approached her (a lot of people were star struck by her nowadays), but helpfully pointed to a horse that they were free to use. 

“Isn’t that Dorte?” Byleth sputtered incredulously, causing the captain to begin apologizing profusely. “Marianne is never going to forgive us.”

“Dorte is far safer with us,” Felix grunted as he mounted the saddle on the horse, beginning to buckle it in place. “We won’t be riding him into battle. We just need him to get us to the village.” 

Felix offered his hand to help her get onto the saddle, but she hesitated with one foot in the stirrup. Her dad may have been a renowned cavalier, but she certainly wasn’t. Felix, thankfully, seemed to sense her reluctance and had gotten on first. However, she should’ve known his limited patience would run thin, Felix let out an irritated sigh before grabbing her hand and quickly pulling her up. She unwittingly let out a surprised squeak, which Felix returned with an amused look. She could feel her face burning as Felix turned away to look ahead. 

Byleth barely got her other foot in the stirrup before Dorte started moving. The air was knocked out of her in shock even though they were just at a trot. She quickly wrapped her arms around Felix’s waist, trying to steady herself, and she felt him tense. She was far too concerned with not falling off to bother thinking about that further. Perhaps, she thought bitterly, it wasn’t that she didn’t _like_ horseback riding. 

They were able to ride ahead of the cavalry units since they still had to organize themselves. She couldn’t help but bury her face into Felix’s back, hugging him closer as they headed to the gates. Despite the fear that had pooled in the pit of her stomach, she felt her heart tinge at the fact that this was probably the most physical contact they’d had. Aside from brawling of course. 

A wolf whistle prompted Byleth to lift her head and look for its source. Her eyes were a little misty from having them closed for so long, but they finally managed to focus on another cavalier beside them. She scoffed but couldn’t stop her smile when she realized who it was. “Sylvain?”

“Hey, professor!” He chirped, grinning at her. He was one of the few who still chose to call her that. He directed that same dazzling smile at Felix. “And who could this be?”

“Not now, Sylvain,” Felix hissed, seeming to dread that he couldn’t go any faster in such a busy area. She still had the side of her head pressed against his shoulder, so she could feel the vibrations when he talked. 

Sylvain let out an airy laugh as he steadily matched their pace. “I guess I’m interrupting something, huh?”

Byleth rolled her eyes again but was flustered over what he was suggesting. “Are you heading to the village too?” She asked, hoping to change the topic for Felix’s sake. 

The carefree look on his face dissipated when he replied. “Of course. I happened to be heading out anyway when I overheard and saw you two running to the stables,” his eyes darted to Felix. “I figured you two would just rush in there without waiting for the knights.”

“They’re just thieves,” Felix grunted, “we can handle it.”

The “we” seemed to throw Sylvain in for a loop as well. Normally, given the chance, Felix would insist he could handle it alone. While it left Byleth pleasantly surprised, a devilish smile settled on Sylvain’s lips. 

“Seems like an odd first date,” he began, almost _cooing._ “Most people like being taken to dinner, you know.” Feeling her face heat up again, Byleth unconsciously tightened her grip around Felix. She knew that Sylvain liked to bother Felix about their training sessions. He’d always wink at the mention of them as if the sessions were some sort of romantic rendezvous. Byleth was always surprised that Sylvain could walk away from Felix mostly unscathed after teasing him like that.

It was at that moment that they were past the gates. Felix uttered a curse at Sylvain that Byleth could never repeat before urging Dorte to a gallop, and Sylvain’s laughter was drowned out by the sound of hooves clacking on the stone road. He didn’t seem to make an effort to catch up this time and instead kept a steady distance from them.

If it weren’t for the fact that they were heading toward a skirmish, she would’ve considered the situation quite lovely. The sun was just beginning to set, splashing the skies with vibrant and warm tones. This would be a scene she’d tuck carefully at the back of her mind to reminisce on later. 

Byleth loosened her grip once she realized Felix’s presence had successfully distracted her from her newly discovered fear of horseback riding. She hummed happily to herself, thinking about how wonderful it was that someone could make you enjoy something that you once dreaded. 

However, Felix seemed to think that her loosening her grip meant something bad. He slowed down a little and glanced at her over his shoulder, worried. “What’s wrong?” 

Byleth went to reply but her voice died in her throat when she realized how close their faces were, especially since she was leaning her head on his shoulder. She spent what seemed like an agonizingly long time drinking in the view. Did he always look that tired? And how is it that it looks so good on him? Were angular features supposed to be this inviting? His dark, windswept hair, tired eyes, and lips permanently etched into a slight frown somehow made all her mind buzz with... affection?

She should’ve expected the ride to be a bit bumpy, but a particularly rough bump ungraciously snapped her out of her thoughts. Felix was still observing her with an incredulous look on his face, but the fondness in his eyes caused a surge of confusing feelings to cloud her mind again. She managed adjusted her grip on him and swallowed down the fluttery feeling in her chest, giving him a reassuring nod. “I’m ok. You should keep your eyes on the road, though.”

Felix reluctantly tore his eyes away from hers and she let out a shuddering breath she didn’t know she was holding. Something happened just now, and she couldn’t possibly begin to unpack it. 

As they were nearing the village, they passed by people who were trying to flee. Unfortunately, Felix and Byleth couldn’t stop completely. She could only leave them with a few reassuring words and directed them to the monastery. However, just simply seeing the “knights” heading toward their home to save it seemed to relieve them. 

“We have to walk from here,” Felix muttered, signalling Dorte to come to a halt. “He’ll be safe,” Felix added when he noticed Byleth’s conflicted expression. He hopped off easily and looked back up at Byleth, raising an eyebrow. She immediately knew he was challenging her to get off by herself. 

With a defeated huff, she shakily lifted her leg over the saddle, the other balancing her precariously on the stirrup. It was suddenly very clear to her that she should _not_ have done that because Dorte’s annoyed attempt at regaining his balance caused her to lose her grip. Thankfully, Felix managed to catch her easily before she hit the ground. She quickly wrapped her arms behind his neck for support. 

“Thank you,” Byleth breathed, trying not to pay attention to the fact that her heart was threatening to jump out her chest. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was startled from falling, or if it was because Felix was comfortably princess carrying her.

He gently set her legs down so that she could stand up, and she used his shoulder for support. Once upright, she caught Felix staring at her with that strange, fond expression again. She expected him to make a snarky comment about how terrible that dismount was, but he seemed to be enraptured. Byleth spotted a faint cloud of smoke rise from the village in the distance, leaving no time to think about it further. She gasped and lurched forward, causing Felix to tear his eyes away from her to turn and spot it as well. 

Soon, they were running, hands resting on the handle of their weapons as if nothing had happened. Byleth could feel the rage building up inside of her. Wasn’t stealing enough? Why would they destroy homes like that? From her peripheral, she saw the sword of the creator glow, as if responding to her anger. 

Some of the thieves had been loading goods into a cart just at the entrance to the village. They were too busy to even notice Byleth and Felix descend on them, and the fight was over before it began. Clutching the sword, she made her way into the village, Felix trailing after her and watching her flank. “Can you see the Knights of Serios behind us yet?”

“I can see them in the distance. It’ll be a few minutes before they get here.”

They heard a shout down an alleyway and they both fell silent, moving to press up against the wall at the alley’s entrance. Byleth peered around the corner and saw a man clutching a bag of his belongings, trembling in front of a thief.

Another yell erupted from inside a home across the road. Before she could say anything, Felix gave her a nod and rushed toward the house, leaving her to deal with the alleyway. She was more than capable, but situations that called for splitting up always filled her with dread. 

Pushing that out of mind, she slid into the alley quietly, gripping her sword with so much force that her knuckles were turning white. The thief was using an axe to threaten the villager, demanding the location of more valuables. The villager sobbed that this was all he had. 

Byleth readied herself at a distance and snapped the sword of the creator toward the thief just as he wound up to strike down with his axe. The axe fell to the ground with a loud clatter, and the thief screamed out as the sword lashed his arm, nearly rendering it useless. The villager hurried out of the alley, still clutching his bag, and tearfully thanked Byleth before disappearing. 

The thief writhed in pain before looking at Byleth with sweltering rage. She felt her stomach drop when he picked up the axe with his other arm and charged. The width of the alley meant that she couldn’t effectively use the sword as a whip, so she stood her ground. Just as she was about to cut through him in retaliation, she felt another presence behind her. Whoever it was, they were swinging something at her head. She managed to duck out of the way of the new threat and leapt out of the way of the charging thief. She quickly scanned her surroundings. 

She was right about one thing. Someone was indeed behind her. What she couldn’t have known was that the scream had alerted a _dozen thieves_ to the area. A lump rose in her throat as she steadied herself and assessed her situation. She wasn’t foolish enough to take on that many enemies at once. 

_Calm down and take stock,_ she desperately thought to herself as she backed up into the alley. _Looks like... 4 with swords, 6 with axes, and 2 archers. At this point, the archers are the biggest threat._ The axe and swordsmen hadn’t tried to target her yet, possibly threatened by the state of their other thief friend. However, just as she thought, the archers were taking aim. She managed to roll out of the way for one, then barely blocked the subsequent one with her sword. She took that moment to run to the other end of the alley. 

Byleth soon felt an arrow whip past her face, sending a chill up her spine. How much longer until back up arrives? And what about Felix? Is he safe? She came to a screeching halt when another group of thieves appeared at the end she was running toward. Just how many were there?

Quickly calculating the best escape route, she ruthlessly charged at the new group, giving them barely any time to even draw their weapons. She blew two away with minor white magic before turning and slashing at the rest. Arrows continued to fly toward her, disrupting her from landing a proper blow. She clenched her jaw in frustration. 

She knew it was a big risk but decided that it was one she had to take. She’d have to take out the bigger group at once with a spell if she wanted to escape. However, her more powerful spells took a moment to cast, causing that one moment to become a giant opening for the enemy. Although the thieves in front of her were mostly subdued, she could hear footsteps heading her direction from the street ahead. She swore under her breath, knowing she wouldn’t be able to handle any more enemies.

Byleth turned to the group pursuing her in the alley, took a deep breath, and took aim. 

A flash of blinding, burning light descended on the group, causing the stone road to shatter and crumble around them. She was successfully able to hit them all at once. 

Suddenly, an arrow flew out from behind the light and struck her side, knocking a startled breath out of her. She wasn’t quick enough; The archer had fired before the spell hit. She saw the blood before she even registered the pain. The arrow had ripped straight through her. 

Clutching her side as a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding, she turned to the remaining enemies behind her. Thankfully, they either fled or were knocked unconscious, but she remembered that she’d heard more people heading this way. 

Byleth was nothing if not determined. She held out the sword in front of her with one hand, pretending not to notice the visible shudder rolling through her body and up to her fingertips. The pain was beginning to bloom, and she felt like she was being ripped apart. She could either hold out and fight or use up the remainder of her energy to close her wound, but both options began to look far-fetched. The footsteps rounded the corner and she drew in a sharp breath, expecting the worst.

She nearly collapsed with relief when she realized it was Felix and Sylvain. 

The next few moments were a blur. All she could really do was helplessly watch as she tumbled into them. The knights frantically surrounded her, trying to figure out what to do. She overheard one of the knights telling Sylvain that the healers weren’t there yet. She let out a dry laugh and shut her eyes as she was lowered to the ground and propped up against a wall, silently cursing at herself for missing the chance to close the wound herself even though it was unlikely to have worked. 

Byleth’s thoughts were still racing, albeit with greater difficulty than before. She was gravely injured in a simple fight with a gang of _thieves_. As another wave of burning pain rolled through, she became frustrated at the fact that she hadn’t taken more precautions. Winning the war didn’t mean she was invincible in these smaller battles.

A warm hand suddenly, but gently, cupped the side of her face, urging her to open her eyes. “Felix?” She murmured, surprised at how close his face was when she opened them. A haze had formed in her mind and she was finding it difficult to focus on him, but she knew she had to try. She noticed that a small gash ran down the side of his forehead, still slightly bleeding. “You’re hurt.”

Felix looked exasperated and she couldn’t help but smile softly at that ever so familiar expression. He squeezed her hand. When did he grab her hand? “_I’m_ hurt?” He sputtered incredulously. “Do you even know what state you’re in?”

Before she could answer, a group of healers descended on her. She let out a pained gasp when their flurried hands were placed over her wound. Desperate to show a little dignity as the new leader, she bit back her cries. The wound slowly closed, sparking a flourish of pain with every shift. It gradually faded into more of a pulsing stab, and everyone around her seemed to let out a collective breath. Although the coast wasn’t completely clear yet, she knew she’d be safe until she got to Manuela. 

“It’s not like I haven’t been wounded before,” she pointed out weakly, still staring at the gash on Felix’s face. “I’ve survived worse.”

Felix seemed to bite a comment back before meeting her eyes. Byleth was pretty sure that once she got better, she’d get lectured by him about being smarter in battle. But, for now, the crushed expression on his face left her heartbroken, and she desperately wanted to console him. She piped up again to try and lighten the mood. “Looks like I fell out of practice with real battles, huh?”

He let out a shaky breath before sitting down next to her, still clutching her hand. It was a while before he spoke again. “I suppose I have too,” he gingerly wiped some blood off his face. “It only took us a month to slack off.”

“I think,” she slowly muttered, wishing that the fog in her mind would clear. She rested her head on Felix’s shoulder and felt him relax. “We’re just better as a pair.”

Felix took a long time to respond to her again and the gentle movement of his breathing lulled her tired eyes to close, so she barely heard him when he murmured, “we are.”


	2. Partners?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth is stubborn and hungry, Felix is stubborn and angry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in this house we ignore that Byleth canonically doesn't have a heartbeat for romantic purposes

Byleth woke up in a haze.

As she tried to convince her mind to clear, she noticed that every muscle and joint ached as if she hadn’t moved in years. A flash of panic finally forced her eyes open, and her arms shot up to guard herself. Gingerly, she eventually realized that she was no longer in the middle of a battle.

Byleth’s senses were still a little dull from exhaustion, but she could feel that a bandage had been wrapped around her torso to cover the wound. She gently pressed down on the area out of curiosity and found that, while it definitely couldn’t compare to the moment she was hit, it still very much hurt.

With the ever so faint light from the night sky cascading through the windows, she could make out some details in the room. She wasn’t surprised to find herself in the infirmary, but an uneasy feeling settled in her gut anyway. Byleth wasn’t particularly scared of the dark but being completely alone in a room that wasn’t hers in the dead of night was unsettling. There was no way she could go back to sleep, so she tugged the thin covers off and sat up, albeit with great difficulty.

In the middle of painfully pushing herself up, Byleth realized that spare candles would be around somewhere. A chair had been pulled up next to her, so she decided to use it as crutch to investigate. Slowly swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she delicately tested how much weight they could handle. Her knees were a little jittery, but they would suffice. 

After hobbling around the room using every piece of furniture as a railing, she finally found some in Manuela’s desk, as well as a candlestick. She also found a nearly empty flask hidden behind crumpled up papers but tucked it back quickly when she realized what it was. Hopefully, it wasn’t emptied while Manuela was caring for her.

Byleth’s head started pounding when she lit the candle, as if the small flame was too bright for her eyes. She suddenly felt sick, but oddly enough, her nausea reminded her that her last meal was nearly a day ago. The queasiness could have been caused by her empty stomach. She was still unsteady, but she figured they could last a trip to the dining hall and back. 

She picked up the candlestick and slowly made her way out the room, taking slightly erratic steps that forced her to stick to the walls. Frustrated, but spurred on by hunger, she kept her eyes glued to the floor to avoid a stumble.

It seemed like an eternity before Byleth came to the first turn of the hallway, and, admittedly, this was putting a lot more strain on her body than she expected. She stopped and leaned against the wall, resting her forehead on the cool stone. 

Too distracted by her protesting limbs, she didn’t hear the rapid footsteps approaching, and couldn’t get out of the way when someone rounded the corner straight into her.

Byleth let out a yelp and dropped the candle, plunging them in darkness. She couldn’t even begin to panic as she fell back, her mind seeming to be perpetually behind by 10 seconds. However, a frantic hand grabbed onto her arm and yanked  
her toward them hastily. The excess force caused the other person to lose their balance.

It vaguely occurred to her that said falling person was still holding onto her arm. 

Before Byleth could put two and two together, she was yanked down. She wasn’t a medic, but something told her that hitting the ground wouldn’t help her injury. She could hear Felix’s exasperated grumbling already.

As in _really_ hear him.

“-can’t believe you. Honestly, do you ever think? As if nearly bleeding out wasn’t bad enough, you’re just wandering the halls in that state like a damn ghost-”

“_You_ ran into _me_!” Byleth protested out of habit before she even registered that she’d landed on top of Felix. He’d involuntarily broken her fall, leaving them in a heap on the floor. 

After all that, Byleth was pretty sure she didn’t have any strength left to get up. Though, that wasn’t the only reason. It was embarrassingly comfortable being splayed across Felix. Unconsciously, she repositioned her head so that it rested better on his chest. She quietly listened to every word he said, even though they weren’t necessarily nice things, because with every word his voice would resonate. It accompanied his heartbeat, which was steady, but quick. It was peaceful. 

She couldn’t make sense of much, especially regarding her own emotions, but she instinctively knew this was something she longed for. Squeezing her eyes shut, she stayed completely still with bated breath, praying that this would go on for a little longer.

However, Felix’s string of curses and complaints ended abruptly and Byleth tried to ready a list of excuses. Her legs weren’t working. She saw something on the ground. She fell asleep. Anything other than the compromising truth.

Neither moved, as if even the slightest shift could break the delicate scene. 

The wait was agonizing, but Byleth didn’t know what she was waiting for. She opened her eyes and didn’t dare lift a finger. Now that her sight had adjusted, she could see that Felix’s hand was lifted slightly off the ground, wavering near her head. Byleth felt like she finally understood why, in the past, they had pretended these moments didn’t happen. It was too new, too foreign. Whatever this was, she already treasured deeply. Wanting something _more_ at the risk of what they already had just didn’t seem reasonable. 

However, she couldn’t seem to let go of the potential because she desperately wanted it, no matter how hard she tried to deny it. They had been dancing around the possibility for so long that it became a suffocating routine. 

“I can just _hear_ you thinking from here.”

Byleth was unceremoniously pulled out of her thoughts just as she thought she had _finally_ unravelled some of her feelings. She was about to interject, once again feeling the need to defend herself out of habit, when she felt an unsure, but gentle hand touch her head. Whatever she was going to say was thrown out of her mind. 

“You’ve been distracted lately,” Felix muttered while fidgeting with her hair. “way more than usual.”

“_Than usual?_” Byleth repeated bemusedly, too preoccupied by his hand to think of anything else. 

Felix’s hand stopped and his voice dropped to a murmur. “Byleth, you were _shot_.”

“Yes, I noticed,” she mumbled, a little disappointed that the conversation was turning into his usual chiding. “It’s not like I- “

“-haven’t been wounded before.” Felix finished her sentence, earning an annoyed glare from her that he couldn’t see from his position. “I know. I’ve heard it before.”

“I’m still alive, aren’t I? I’m doing okay, all things considered.”

“Oh, you’re okay?” Felix laughed dryly. “Care to get up on your own, then?”

Byleth let out a huff and attempted to push herself up with her arms but regretted it immediately when they started shaking. Finally, Felix had to intervene to help push her up to a sitting position before propping her against the wall. As Byleth bitterly grieved her lack of autonomy, she became acutely aware of how much she missed the warmth and comfort from laying on Felix. Her face flushed for thinking such a thing as he sat up and moved next to her. 

The barely present light from the few windows in the hall allowed her to inspect Felix’s face. He looked more exhausted than she’d ever seen him, which she thought was impossible. A small frown appeared on her face as he peered over at her, and she had a brief moment of panic when she realized that she must have looked _terrible_. It seemed a bit trivial, especially since Byleth had never cared much about her appearance before, but she didn't want the one person she'd want to impress to see her like this. Her bed hair was already bad under normal circumstances; she couldn’t imagine what it looked like now. The thin, but somehow incredibly coarse and oversized hospital gown didn’t help either. 

Her embarrassment subsided when a sudden thought occurred to her. “Were you in the infirmary with me that entire time? Did you stay awake for _hours_ because you were worried about me?”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” he retorted, avoiding eye contact. “…I guess you woke up during the _5 minutes_ I was gone. And somehow, between those 5 minutes, you decided it was a good idea to just take a stroll despite your legs not working.”

“I was hungry.”

“I was _bringing_ you food,” Felix pointed at something a few feet away from them. Squinting, she could see a tray and a bowl that had fallen during their collision. “so, think of a better excuse.”

Byleth couldn’t help the grin from appearing on her face. She felt a _little_ guilty for feeling so pleased at his concern, but how could she not when he showed his worry like this? He must have waited for hours in that chair that was pulled up next to her bed. She knew Felix wasn’t one to voice his feelings, who went as far as trying to backtrack if he felt that he said something too emotional. Regardless of how it was adorable that he conveyed his emotions through actions rather than words, this didn’t work well for clearing up whatever was going on between them. Though, she realized, she wasn’t exactly known for being vocal either.

Byleth leaned on his shoulder and quietly contemplated on grabbing his hand. She wasn’t sure if the sudden bravery was due in part to being too exhausted to care, or because she realized that voicing her feelings was _also_ completely out of her area of expertise. Maybe he would understand. 

Drawing in a sharp breath, she cautiously slid her hand into his, and was relieved when he didn’t pull away. Almost immediately, he squeezed her hand slightly, so she did the same. Even this small action caused her to feel winded, but in the most delightful way. They stayed like that comfortably, devoid of the desperation and fear that loomed over them earlier. It felt like something had changed.

However, the silence was eventually broken by Felix again, who began in a hushed voice. “Before, you said that we were better-” he hesitated, the words rolling out slowly as if unsure. “-as a _pair_.”

“I did?” Byleth furrowed her brows as her mind slowly assembled memories from earlier that day. She was nearly delirious from the blood loss and… she vaguely remembered saying something on the lines of that. And… _Felix_ stuck by her side the entire time. He’d heard everything. Her face flared up as the scene replayed relentlessly. 

“I… did,” she felt like sinking into the wall to avoid acknowledging it any further. Suddenly, a jolt of alarm caused her to lift her head as her mind unfurled an unpleasant moment. “You were hurt!” 

Felix was in the middle of letting out an exasperated sigh when Byleth scrambled to her knees. His breath seemed to be caught in his throat as she pushed his hair away from his forehead to check. Every joint in her body protested when she kneeled to face him, but there were more pressing matters at hand. As her unsteady hands gently cupped his face, she breathed out in relief when she discovered that the cut wasn’t as bad as she remembered. It was clear, however, that he did nothing to take care of it. 

“It’ll leave a scar,” she tsked, pushing back a few stray strands of hair and leaning in for a better look. “You could’ve at least covered it with some gauze.”

“You are just _impossible_,” Felix whispered so quietly that she nearly didn’t hear him. He stopped her hand and gazed up at her with a slightly troubled look.

Before Byleth could make sense of what was happening, Felix wrapped his arms around her torso, careful to avoid her wound, and pulled her into an embrace. Her stunned arms wrapped around his shoulders, and her head came to rest under his chin as if it was the most natural place to be. All she could do was let out a gasp of shock as she was enveloped in a familiar warmth.

“Do you have any idea how insufferable it is to be around you sometimes?” Felix mumbled into her hair, his tone low and unsteady. Byleth’s eyes widened and she froze, having never heard him sound so distressed. “How can you just _say_ things like that? And after I put so much effort into convincing myself that I wanted us to just be rivals?”

Byleth could hear her heart beating frantically, but suddenly she wasn’t sure if it was just hers. Words tried to get out, but to no avail. All she could do was push out, “why?”

“Why?” Felix repeated in disbelief, loosening his grip. She took the moment to lean back and stare at him in bewilderment but kept her arms around him. “Do you really have to ask?”

Byleth looked around uneasily, her breathing becoming uneven. Despite how much she wanted to believe those dark, pleading eyes, she just couldn’t bring herself to. They’d spent so much time trying to avoid it, that it just seemed too good to be true. Her spinning mind suddenly cleared when she realized what she desperately needed to hear.

“I want you to say it.”

_“What?”_

Byleth took in a shaky breath, but continued, determined to see this through. “I _need_ you to say it.”

Felix let out an annoyed sigh and looked away, clearly flustered. He seemed to be at a loss at her request. Byleth gently turned his head back to face her, and she couldn’t help herself from leaning in even closer. She desperately wanted to close the tiny gap between them, considering how easy it would be, but she managed to hold herself back. 

“Please?” Byleth pleaded quietly. Her voice was so strained with emotion that she nearly didn’t recognize it.

Felix squeezed his eyes shut and made a noise of frustration, swearing under his breath. After a moment, his dark, resolute eyes pierced hers, completely different from just seconds ago. “I’m only going to say this _once_, got it?” Byleth nodded, holding her breath in nervous anticipation. Felix struggled for quite a while before he found his voice again. “I want you to… I _need_ you to stay near me. Somewhere I can keep you safe. I-“ He drew in a sharp breath, and she saw a flash of a pained expression. “-I don’t want you to be alone if you get hurt again. I wouldn’t be able to bear it if you ever… I won't let you.

“At first, you annoyed me to no end,” Felix irritably hushed Byleth as she was beginning to make a noise of complaint. “but I think I was just annoyed at myself. I was angry but also... anxious. You had absolutely no sense of self preservation and took stupid risks to save me from more dire situations than I can count. You have no idea how… how _frustrated_ I was when I realized I didn’t want to be your rival. The only other word I could use to describe what I wanted us to be was _‘partners’_, but it was so new to me, these idiotic feelings. On the battlefield I could justify wanting to be by you as wanting to keep you safe, but, pretty soon, I wanted to see you at every chance I could get. I live to see your _stupid_ smiles and hear your _dumb_ laughter. I can’t… imagine being without you.”

Byleth look on expectantly, barely holding herself together, as Felix once again struggled to meet her eyes. She heard him take in a deep breath.

“_I love you._”

It felt like everything around them stopped as he slowly lifted his head with a tender look that caused her breath to hitch. Byleth pulled Felix in, quickly closing the gap between them. This was what she had been unknowingly waiting _a year_ for. She could feel Felix’s smile on her lips as they kissed, and the ever-so-slight tremble in the hands that were wrapped around her waist. It was just a kiss, and yet, Byleth felt overwhelmed by the out-pour of pent up affection that was somehow being conveyed. 

When they pulled away, Byleth was almost in a daze from the cathartic moment. Whatever complicated and unnameable feeling that had plagued her for the last couple of months had been untangled with just three words. Felix rested his forehead against hers and held her closer, letting out a breathy laugh. It made her realize that this low, charming laugh had always been her favourite sound to hear; she wasn’t able to admit it before, but now she happily let herself think she could listen to it forever.

“Ah, there’s one issue,” Felix lifted his head to meet her eyes, looking a little guilty. “Did you know I was supposed to be back in Fraldarius territory two weeks ago?”

“_What?”_

“Dimit-His Majesty hasn’t said anything yet. I think Sylvain’s been covering for me,” Byleth’s eyes widened as he continued. “but we’re really pushing our luck. The new Duke and Margrave being absent for so long is... questionable, at best.”

“Wait, you stayed because of _me_?”

“Well, I couldn’t just _leave._ You were injured.” Felix scoffed, but he was nervously watching her for her reaction to the news. “I just didn’t know what I wanted to do. I did finish the work I needed to do for the Kingdom, but I delayed my departure for a while.”

Byleth was about to reprimand him, but Felix seemed to know what she’d say. He quickly pulled her in again, hand rested on the back of head. He stopped abruptly, just before their lips touched and Byleth was startled into silence, her head spinning and heart pounding. Felix seemed thoroughly amused by the effect it had on her, and she realized that he’d happily use this to get her full attention from now on. 

“I need you to listen carefully,” All Byleth could do was nod as he continued in a hushed tone. “I can’t stay here because I have duties to the Kingdom, and you have to stay here to lead the church.”

The thought had crossed her mind before, but she’d foolishly pushed it aside. It was difficult to imagine not being able to talk to Felix whenever she wanted due to her responsibilities, especially since the role was thrust upon her. Not knowing what to say, she simply nodded again, trying not to show her budding distress.

Felix took in a deep breath and leaned back, taking both her hands into his and meeting her eyes with a softness she hadn’t ever seen before.

“So, I want to promise you something,” he looked down at her hands, gently tracing shapes on the back of her left hand. “you don’t have to say anything about it right now.”

“Promise what?” Byleth whispered nervously, her mind still distraught about the notion of not being able to see him and not fully grasping what he was getting at.

“I promise that... we’ll be together, I’ll make sure we do,” Felix murmured, stopping his hands. He struggled to go on with what he had to say and even turned his head slightly, seeming troubled. “that is, only if… you would have me.”

A gasp escaped from Byleth, who was completely beside herself. The constant barrage of emotions made it difficult to focus. “You want us to-” Her voice rose in disbelief, but she was too overrun by joy and shock at the thought of _marrying him_ to bring herself to finish her sentence.

“I know it’s sudden,” Felix rushed out, seeming just as flustered as Byleth despite being the one to suggest it. “so, we can wait until the Kingdom settles down again. We both have a lot of work to take care of. Until then, we’ll make sure to see each other as much as possible.”

Byleth might as well have been mute. She tried desperately to process all of it at once. The future was so uncertain, and now, she knew exactly how she wanted it to unfold. There was undoubtedly no one else in the world who understood her like Felix did. The thought of spending her life with her perfect partner and closest friend was euphoric; she wanted nothing more than to find that kind of happiness with him. 

“Then… I’m going to make sure you follow through on that promise,” Byleth finally managed to get the words out. The look of fondness on Felix’s face was one she’d never get tired of, so silently, she vowed to herself that she would do anything and everything to keep him happy. 

A smile tugged at Felix’s lips as he wrapped his arms around her waist again. His warm hands rested on her back and she let out a content sigh. Byleth lifted his chin to kiss him again, longing to stay as close as physically possible, while she noted that she would never get tired of doing this either.

“You still haven’t said it back to me,” Felix amusedly murmured between kisses, “were you just distracted by something? Or do I need to wait for that too?” 

“No, you don’t have to wait for that one,” Byleth caressed his cheek endearingly, placing a quick peck on the tip of his nose. “I love you too. And, I’ll tell you as many times as you want me to.” 

Despite how unconventional it was that they’d confessed their feelings on the ground in the middle of a hallway, Byleth thought it was pretty fitting for the two of them as they continued to catch up for lost time. It simply confirmed her feelings that what she had with Felix was _special_ and _rare_. For the very first time, after being put through unimaginable conflicts, she felt at peace. 

\------------

A harsh light from the window urged Byleth out of her blissful sleep. 

The morning sun had begun creeping into the room, shining directly into her eyes. She groaned a little in annoyance, voice still thick with exhaustion, and tried to cover them. However, when she went to lift her arm, she realized that her hand was intertwined with something. She blinked groggily to clear the haze out of her eyes and craned her neck to examine what she was holding on to. 

Felix’s arm was draped over her side and the other was being used by her as a pillow. Her eyes widened as her gaze led up his arm from their interlocked hands, taking into account just how _warm_ it was to wake up with him. They’d fallen asleep wrapped around each other; Felix fitted cosily against her back while she’d nestled into his embrace, clutching onto his hand like a lifeline. She could feel every breath he took, reminding her of the push and pull of the tide.

Despite having confessed their love just hours ago, her face reddened at the thought of being found like this. They were still at the infirmary, squeezed onto the tiny bed. Anyone could walk in. 

Byleth vaguely remembered that Felix had to carry her back from the hallway after, and she practically fell asleep the moment he set her down. The fact that he’d climbed in after just made her face flush even more. She tried to tug the covers up past her face as she had a silent, affection-induced meltdown.

She felt Felix stir and a shiver went up her spine when she heard a husky, but annoyed groan behind her. “Can you _please_ stop squirming? I’m trying to sleep.” He stretched a bit, untangling their hands for a moment and yawned before placing his arms back over her, as if that was where they always belonged. She was frozen in place at first but relaxed into his reassuring embrace and a soft smile played on her lips as she thought to herself about how _wonderful_ it would be to wake up like this every morning. 

However, a sudden, cheerful voice cut through her daydreaming.

“Manuela is _really_ hungover, so I brought you your breakf-_What?_”

Byleth shot up from the bed with a shriek and shoved Felix away from her in a panic before she’d realized what she had done. She stared wild-eyed at Sylvain, who was standing at the door with a food tray. His mouth was parted in shock as his eyes moved frantically between Byleth and Felix. 

From the floor on the other side of the bed, she heard a pained grunt as well as a string of curses. She wasn’t sure if it was directed at her or Sylvain, and she couldn’t see the expression on Felix’s face, so she didn’t know if he was just annoyed or embarrassed. She shouldn’t have gotten this flustered to begin with, considering how all they did was _sleep next to each other_, but she’d dug her own grave already.

The silence that enveloped the room might as well have suffocated her. She didn’t know what was worse; the fact that they were seen like that, or the fact that the _smuggest_ smile was slowly settling on Sylvain’s face.

“I’ll give you guys some _privacy_,” He dragged out, winking at her. She covered her face with her hands, wishing she could disappear, while Felix angrily swore at him and chucked a pillow in his direction. However, Sylvain easily stepped out of the way, smirking. He set down the tray on a table before calling out a pointed, “Congrats!” to Felix, and disappeared into the hall, closing the door behind him.

Felix staggered up from the floor and glared at Byleth, his face flushed. “What the hell was that for?”

“I panicked!” She fervently whispered, gesturing wildly with her hands as if that would make her defence more convincing. “I’ve never exactly _seen_ anyone before so _being seen_ with them is a new thing! I don’t know what I’m doing!”

Felix ran a hand through his tousled hair and sighed exasperatedly. Byleth could see that his face was still a little red and she felt a little relieved that she wasn’t alone in her embarrassment. 

“I guess that makes the two of us,” He rubbed the back of his neck, grimacing. She felt guilty about kicking him off the bed and was about to ask how he was when he picked up the food tray and brought it over. Setting it down in front of her, he sat on the edge of the bed with a sigh. 

“You’re the son of a noble house,” Byleth furrowed her brows, curious, but began reaching for the bowl of oatmeal on the tray because she had forgotten how ridiculously hungry she was. “are you telling me that you’ve never had a – what’s it called again? A suitress?”

“I was never interested,” Felix hesitated, shifting in his seat. “usually, arrangements would be made for you to benefit your family. You’d barely know the people you were being paired up with.”

“You didn’t get to have a say in it?” Byleth frowned, mumbling through a spoonful of oatmeal. She could never understand the intricacies of nobility, having been raised as a mercenary, so these ‘common’ facts always threw her in for a loop. 

“I _did_ have a say in it. I said no.”

She cracked up when she heard the disdain dripping from his voice, causing a small smile to replace his scowl. 

“So, considering all that, I’m pretty fortunate,” Felix reached out and lightly tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear, looking at her fondly. 

“Fortunate for knowing the person you’d end up with?” Byleth mused, pretending her face wasn’t heating up at the implication of marriage again. “Shouldn’t that be a given?”

“Goddess, Byleth, I’m _trying_ to be-” A frustrated sigh escaped from Felix while she looked on, amused. He fumbled for a while before he could continue, his face reddening as he turned away from her. “I’m saying that I’m fortunate that it’s _you_.”

Despite struggling with voicing his affection, Byleth was glad that he tried to do it for her sake. She set the tray aside and reached out for his hand, smiling endearingly at how the sunlight that irritated her from earlier cast a soft, warm light on Felix. His hand was rested on his lap, so she tugged on his sleeve instead, getting his attention. 

“I know, I’m just teasing,” She urged him to come closer by scooting over and patting the spot next to her. He stared at her wearily at first but gave in after another tug of his sleeve. When he’d finally settled down, she pulled him in by his shirt collar and gently pressed her lips against his. After his momentary surprise, he relaxed and slid his arms around her, holding her tight. There was no denying that she was still recovering from her injury, and yet, Felix’s embrace caused the ache to fade like an echo. 

Byleth pulled away for a moment just to get a better look at him. Their eyes met, and she couldn’t help but be completely enamoured by his expression. To have someone she adored look back at her with just as much tenderness and love was unimaginable. After the years of being pushed around by a fate she never chose to be a part of, this was something that was all hers. After the years of wandering, she’d finally found a place that made her want to stay.

“I’m _fortunate_ that it’s you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Byleth, I’ve-never-experienced-genuine-human-emotions-until-now and Felix, I’m-physically-incapable-of-showing-affection is my JAM
> 
> I didn't know where to stop so this got a lot longer than I expected. The next chapter will be more like an epilogue? Hopefully shorter than this GOD
> 
> I've also been super happy with the responses this has gotten because honestly? didn't expect _anything_ from writing this. I was so happy when I saw it had 50 hits so you can imagine how dumbfounded I am right now. 
> 
> I don't know if I've done this justice, but hopefully I'm getting better at writing now! Also this took a long time because I rewrote it 5 times so let’s hope it’s good


	3. Partners who are Rivals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do I need to wait for _that_, too?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly late, but enjoy!

It was hard to believe that the woman in the mirror who stared back at Byleth was her. She felt like that every time she had to don the elaborate costume, though the priests and nuns would doubtlessly be horrified by what she called the archbishop’s gown. It _was_ a costume to her, however. The work itself was fine, but all the formalities and stuffy meetings always reminded her of how out of place she was there. Thankfully, these meetings didn’t tend to happen very often and had an added benefit that made it more than worth the trouble.

The Church and Kingdom were determined to maintain a good rapport after all that happened, so they proposed that a summit would be held a handful of times a year. This meant that most of the Kingdom’s noble family heads would be in attendance.

It meant that she could see Felix.

A year and a half had passed, and it was just as hectic as he said it would be. Byleth was pulled from meeting to meeting and given document after document, leaving her barely enough time to write letters to Felix. To make matters more difficult, Byleth didn’t really know how to go about writing something like that. The page ended up being filled with rushed descriptions of what was going on at the monastery, smashed together with her thoughts that were laced with affection and worry. It always ended up being difficult to read, even for her. Thankfully, Felix always took the time to comb through the messy words, seeming to be able to understand whatever she was trying to convey. From what he had written back, she knew he was just as busy in aiding the King’s plans to unify all of Fodlan. He expressed a lot of contempt about not having enough time to fight in some of the skirmishes farther up north of his territory, which amused her. Although, she would be lying if she said she hadn’t felt frustrated about the very same issue. She played with the hem of her sleeve and hummed quietly to herself, remembering how Felix once said, long ago, that they were cut from the same cloth.

The summit would happen later in the day, so she didn’t understand why she had to prepare so many hours beforehand. It made her too anxious to wander around because she would never hear the end of it if she got the pristine white garment dirty. So, the moment the church officials left her room, she shucked off the robes and slipped into her regular clothes. If she was caught, she’d just have to say that this was better than the alternative, which would have been the unceremonious destruction of the delicate dress. After contemplating for a moment, she grabbed a hooded robe that some of the nuns wore to obstruct her face; she had hidden in her room for just these occasions. Peering out the door, Byleth made sure the coast was clear before rushing out. She knew it was unlikely that he would already be there, but she couldn’t stand to wait any longer. It was ridiculous that she had to go to such lengths for a little freedom, but she had to admit that sneaking out was exhilarating. Even more so now that she was sneaking out to wait for Felix. 

“Lady Byleth!” 

On her way out of the building, she skidded to a halt when her eyes met with a couple of familiar faces and, before she could react, the two towering figures were already upon her.  
Dimitri pulled her in for a firm hug while Dedue simply bowed silently. She made a confused noise, prompting Dimitri to pull back and take a better look at her. He frowned slightly as he gestured to her cloak. “Why are you – are you trying to hide from someone?”

“What are you doing here so early?” Byleth nervously smiled at him, adjusting the hood to better conceal her face when people looked over curiously at them. He didn’t seem to realize that she’d dodged the question, continuing with a small, warm smile.

“Well, it’s been quite a while since we’ve been at Garreg Mach. I figured we could spend a few hours catching up with people,” Dimitri shifted his gaze over to Dedue. “We travelled down here with Sylvain, Ingrid, and Felix, but Felix ran off somewhere the moment we arrived.”

“Perhaps he is looking for you, Lady Byleth,” Dedue chimed in when he saw the puzzled look on her face. Ran off somewhere? Felix must have gone to the usual place to wait, taking off without telling his travel companions. Byleth contemplated for a moment. They certainly shared that one-track mind. 

“Oh,” something else dawned on her. “Dimitri, Dedue, you can drop the ‘Lady’ honorific.”

“Right, right,” Dimitri hesitated, diverting his gaze awkwardly. “it _has_ become a habit since that’s how I have to refer to you in public.” She couldn’t blame him for that. Afterall, she had to address him as His Majesty in public. It was somewhat difficult to switch at times, especially when personal banter had long interludes due to the frequency of their meetings. 

Suddenly, Dedue said something that would have made her spit out her drink had she been drinking. “Would you prefer to be called _Duchess_ instead?” 

Byleth and Dimitri turned and stared at him, mouths agape. His usual calm expression cracked under their gaze, showing a hint of nervousness. She and Felix never really talked about their relationship, even to their friends. It was in part due to being under constant public scrutiny, but the main reason was that they were both horrible at talking about _anything_. Of course, she shouldn’t have been surprised by their friends’ knowledge of them. It was just that it had never been brought up so _suddenly_; she wasn't prepared to talk about it. Not to mention the implication that they’d already gotten hitched. 

“Dedue!” Dimitri pulled him aside and his voice lowered to a frenzied whisper she could barely hear. “Felix hasn’t even _proposed_ yet.”

He looked even more concerned than before. “But I saw-“

“DEDUE WE MUST GO OVER THERE NOW.”

Dimitri tugged Dedue away from her, spilling apologies, and Byleth managed in her stupor to wave goodbye. What did he see that gave him that idea? She blinked and remembered the mission she was on before running into them, so she set out once again, slightly flustered. Felix. At least she knew now that he’d arrived at the monastery. She didn’t have to wonder where he would be. He would wait for her in the same spot every time he visited. 

In the distance, Byleth spotted the goddess tower and couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips as she continued on her way. It had been 7, almost 8 years since Felix made the vow that was _basically a threat_. They hadn’t even meant to see each other there. She was aware about the legend of the Goddess Tower back then; the tale that if two people met at the tower that night and made a vow, the goddess would make it come true. Despite knowing this, the celebrations got so overwhelming that she was desperate to find some place that wasn’t swarming with people. As it turned out, Felix had the same idea and slipped out earlier in the evening.

It sounded a little _too_ coincidental, thinking back on it, but it was hard to imagine Felix going out of his way to meet her there. 

Byleth was so busy mulling things over in her head that she nearly crashed into the gates. Somehow, her legs had delivered her to her destination without her knowing. The tall, iron entrance loomed over her and she craned her neck slightly to examine it. How many times had she passed under this archway? It was practically her home because, back then, it was the only place at the monastery where she felt like she belonged. The monastery was immaculate and orderly; she was just a tattered, cynical mercenary who was far too young for such a career. She knew it was an odd place to find comfort in, but it was what felt most familiar to her. 

Byleth opened the gates to the training grounds.

As always, Felix was standing at the center of the yard, nonchalantly examining the two training swords in his hands. When she stepped in, his eyes flickered up to meet hers and she saw the faintest trace of a smile. She returned in kind as they quietly walked toward each other, and when they were just a few steps away, Felix tossed her one of the swords. No words had been spoken yet, but they both adjusted their grip and readied themselves. She fixed her gaze on him as they began to circle each other slowly.

The sound of clashing steel didn’t register when Byleth felt the hilt in her hand tremor from blocking Felix’s sudden strike. As the shiver worked its way up through her arm, she grinned at him, basking in the rush of adrenaline. She saw the flash of a tender smile before he quickly covered it up with an intense look. The catharsis from just the start of battle reminded Byleth just how much she missed this, as it did every time. 

After the initial hit, they slowed down considerably and traded light blows. These bouts tended to start like this as a sort of affirmation; did they still know how the other fought? Of course, Felix never disappointed, reacting and returning every single one of her strikes as if it was the most natural thing to do. This coordinated dance never lasted long. There had to be a winner, after all.

Byleth was the one to break the routine. However, her abrupt cuts and thrusts were so effortlessly blocked that she was taken aback. During a parry, Felix took an opening to strike and her eyes widened as she barely dodged the point of the blade. She couldn’t find much time to practice and she assumed he was too busy as well, but clearly, she was wrong. She didn’t think the difference would be this staggering.

“Getting sloppy, are we?” Felix quipped, smirking at her shock.

“_That’s_ the first thing you say to me after 6 months apart?” She let out a breathy laugh, desperately trying not to show how winded she was already. 

“Fine. Getting sloppy, _my love?_”

Felix was still pretty bad at voicing his affection, so the use of the pet name would have been a very sweet moment had it not been dripping with sarcasm. The fact that they were duelling each other didn’t help either. Still, her traitorous heart skipped a beat when she heard him say it, causing her to botch her next swing. She cursed under a laboured breath, wondering if he said it just to distract her. Two could play at that game.

“Did you-” Byleth gasped as had to counter a harsh blow before continuing. “-follow me into the Goddess Tower?”

“_…What?_”

“When you vowed to defeat me. Did you mean for us to meet there?”

Felix seemed to recoil, allowing Byleth a moment to gather her wits as he stood there dumbfoundedly. 

“Where is this all coming from?”

“Is there something so wrong about wanting to catch up, _darling_?” 

As much as she would have loved to hear the answer, she finally managed to regain some ground thanks to Felix’s momentary bewilderment. He seemed to be caught off guard by her second wind, nearly losing his balance while trying to avoid a swing. A sudden, crooked sweep of Byleth’s sword sent the one in his hand twirling in the air. They both watched as it clattered loudly to the ground. Byleth was quick to act; she wasted no time pushing him to the ground and pointing the tip of the sword at his face. 

No one would have been able to tell that Felix had just lost a duel by his expression. As he looked up at Byleth with absolute reverence, she took the time to examine him. Not much had changed in 6 months; the only noticeable difference was a couple of new scars on his hands and face. A lot of his work involved more physical conflict than hers, so she shouldn’t have been surprised, but it was still disheartening to imagine the wounds that caused them. She bit back a comment, knowing that she’d gained some scars from skirmishes during their time apart as well. 

Shaking off her worried thoughts, Byleth extended her hand out to Felix to help him up. However, when he grabbed on, he only pulled himself up to his knee. She tilted her head quizzically at him as he began fumbling around his pocket with his other hand. A gasp became stuck in her throat when Felix finally fished out what he was looking for. He diverted his gaze as he held out a silver ring, seeming to be just as flustered as she was, despite being the one down on their knee. 

“I’ve been carrying this around for quite some time now, and I didn’t know when to actually…” He hesitated as a blush crept up his face. “Earlier, I saw how your eyes lit up when you saw me, and I nearly went down then and there. Seeing you like that, I realized that being away from you is… I don’t want to keep you waiting here like this. I’ll do everything I can to bring you back with me.” 

Felix raised his head, seeming more composed than before. Meanwhile, Byleth’s nerves had only just gotten started. Laughter bubbled up from her, but it ended in a sort of sob as she clutched onto his hand. She was undoubtedly happy, and the overwhelming wave of emotions had rendered her speechless. 

Sensing her shock, Felix smiled softly and guided her hand to his lips before murmuring, “I think I owe you a better vow.”

“You don’t want to renew our old one?” Byleth managed to get out, holding back another happy sob. 

“No offense, Byleth, but I’ve won against you plenty of times now.” 

She went to push him lightly for the cheeky answer, but he easily blocked her hand because he expected that reaction. As she shook her head amusedly, she noticed that Felix was avoiding eye contact again. Just as she was about to comment, it dawned on her; he was going to have unimaginable trouble trying to ask the _actual_ question. Byleth felt bad about wanting to tease him, but it slipped out before she could stop herself. 

“Are you going to answer my question about the Goddess Tower incident?”

Felix snapped his head up and made a noise of disbelief, his face now completely flushed. “Byleth, are you genuinely doing this _right now?_ While I’m down on one knee, _proposing to you?_.”

“I’ll only answer your question after you answer mine.” 

“_Fine_,” he glared at her, but it was far less intimidating because of the very obvious blush on his face. “I knew you weren’t fond of crowded places and I saw you eyeing the tower earlier in the evening. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together.”

“Wait, so you went with the _intention_ to threaten me?”

“No!” Felix sputtered, eyes widening. “I just… I don’t know. We were about to graduate, and I wanted to find a way to… keep you near me. Or, at the very least, to make sure you would remember me. I didn’t know what my feelings were at the time and spoke without thinking, so I ended up making a fool out of myself, okay?”

So, it hadn’t been a coincidence after all. Byleth wondered just how long he’d been waiting in the tower before she arrived. She felt her chest tighten when she thought about how this meant his confession had been put on hold for 6 agonizing years. To make matters worse, she had been “absent” for 5 of them. Felix’s battle worn hand was still gripped onto hers, so she gently tugged on it to get his attention. He lifted his head reluctantly and met her eyes.

“I’m sorry I kept you waiting for so long.” Byleth smiled sadly at him, absentmindedly tracing shapes into the back of his hand. Felix’s brows furrowed in confusion before his eyes lit up with realization. A pained look flashed across his sharp features, undoubtedly remembering the 5 years he spent wondering if she was still alive, and a somber silence fell over him. She moved her other hand and tenderly caressed the side of his face, wanting to console him. To her relief, the corners of his mouth tugged up and he relaxed into her hold.

“You’re here _now_. That’s all that matters.” Felix murmured after a moment and was no longer trying to divert his gaze. Instead, he stared up at her with a steadfast expression. “I love you, and I want to be by your side. Byleth, _will you marry me?_”

All she could manage to do was nod eagerly to the man who cherished her wholeheartedly for all these years. Slipping the ring onto her finger, Felix stood up and slid his arms around her waist, pulling her in for a heartfelt kiss. Byleth relished how she could feel his smile against hers and wrapped her arms behind his neck, yearning to be as close to him as possible. 

\-------------------- 

Seeing the dining hall filled with her rowdy friends brought back waves of nostalgia, and Byleth chuckled slightly when she saw some former Blue Lion students enthusiastically beckoned her and Felix to their table. This was a stark contrast to the summit just moments before; they had all exchanged formal pleasantries, pretending like they hadn’t just been gossiping about the cut of Lorenz’s hair. 

Felix led Byleth to the table with a hand resting on her lower back, causing an uproar of hoots and hollers that were started by none other than Sylvain. She felt her face flare up and heard Felix swear, but she couldn’t help her laughter when Ingrid slapped Sylvain upside the head. The crowd settled down quickly after his loud yelp of pain and she saw Felix silently mouth a “thanks,” to Ingrid. 

“My apologies, Felix. I wasn’t aware that you hadn’t proposed yet and nearly told Byleth this morning.” Dedue began with his usual solemn look the moment they settled down on the bench, but the last part was tinged with guilt. “At the last summit, I noticed you holding the rings and made a rash assumption.”

“Don’t worry about it, Dedue,” Felix peered over at Byleth, letting a soft smile rest on his face. “I should’ve proposed long before this anyhow.”

Ingrid and Sylvain ‘awwww’ed at his answer while Dimitri shook his head slightly in disbelief. “I can’t believe you thought they’d gotten engaged 6 months ago and didn’t mention _anything_ to us.”

“They’re a very secretive couple, Dimitri. I’m sure Dedue thought that it was the right thing to do,” Ingrid pulled a stack of cups toward her and began pouring out drinks for everyone at the table. “To be honest, this is the first time I’ve seen them _touch_ each other.”

Sylvain deemed it safe enough to contribute to the teasing, and his eyes lit up with mischief as he loudly whispered, “yeah, I’m pretty sure they still haven’t even made eye contact yet.” 

The group snickered at Felix’s vain attempts to swipe at Sylvain from across the table, and Byleth prayed that he wouldn’t noticed the assortment of cutlery near his arm at his disposal. Entertained by what was unfolding in front of her, she simply listened as their bickering went on, letting a small smile play on her lips. Beside her, Felix discreetly slid his hand into hers beneath the table, prompting her to look over at him curiously. Like Ingrid said, they were rarely seen being affectionate to each other in public, so this was a pleasant change of pace.

“For the love of-Sylvain, shut your mouth, _please_,” Byleth wasn’t sure what he had said to garner that reaction, but she saw Ingrid punch his shoulder fairly hard. He winced at the impact but was right back to grinning seconds later.

“I’m just saying!” He raised his hands up beside him in mock surrender, amusement twinkling in his eyes. From what Byleth could put together, Sylvain was now bothering everyone else at the table about their love lives. As a flustered Dimitri was presenting some sort of defense for himself that no one was buying, she felt Felix squeeze her hand slightly. When she looked over, she tilted her head slightly as a silent way to ask, “what is it?”

He checked around him to make sure no one would overhear him. Satisfied, he leaned in with an amused look and whispered, “you still haven’t said it back to me yet. Did you get distracted by something?”

Byleth frowned slightly at the incredibly familiar phrase, not quite getting what he was saying. What did she not say back?

“Or do I need to wait for that, too?” 

Realization dawned on her when she felt Felix fidget with the ring that was on her left hand. He’d said this to her before when... She laughed, slightly embarrassed by how she’d forgotten to give an actual verbal response to his proposal because of the shock. She _did_ nod, though. Still, she supposed that after how she’d insisted him to confess his feelings that momentous night, it was only fair for him to tease her about not articulating her answer. 

Feeling a little bold, partly because of her need to one-up him, Byleth leaned in closer and cradled the side of Felix’s face; his expression shifted from amused to suspicious. He turned his head to the side nervously, no doubt not wanting their friends to notice, but before he could move again, she quickly pulled him in by the chin. With their face just an inch apart, she whispered, “I love you too, and yes, I will marry you,” before closing the gap with a quick peck on his lips.

Felix pulled away as if he’d just kissed hot coals, his bewildered face becoming completely flushed as Byleth practically cackled at him. She could feel her face burning up as well, but his reaction was well worth the momentary embarrassment. As she laughed, she heard delighted gasps from the rest of the people at their table. She couldn’t help but think that his flustered expression was adorable. Sylvain playfully whistled at them, earning another smack from Ingrid. Byleth grabbed Felix’s hand and smiled at him apologetically, and the gleam of indignation in his eyes fizzled out almost immediately. Sighing, he glared at Sylvain before finally turning back to her with a slightly amused look. With a tender smile, he squeezed her hand once more, flooding her chest with warmth. She felt immensely pleased knowing that she was the only person in the world that Felix would forgive so easily.

As the bickering started up again, this time due to Sylvain’s “get a room” comments, Byleth shifted closer to Felix and he wrapped an arm around her, shooting him a sidelong glance. She smiled up at him and gently rested her head on his shoulder. After all this time, this was still her favourite thing to do; pressing an ear up against him to hear his voice resonate. She always found it comforting. This peace of mind was unimaginable until just 2 years ago. This didn’t mean that the rest of their lives would be easy, of course, but Byleth felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. No matter the hardship, Felix would be there for her, and she would be there for him. Even in the noisy dining hall, her eyes fluttered shut as his voice lulled her to rest.

However, Byleth felt a light pat on her cheek, and she begrudgingly lifted her head slightly to meet Felix’s eyes. He motioned for her to turn her head, and he began whispering into her ear again when she obliged. His tone was jovial, but there was a hint of a challenge flickering in his eyes.

“You better know I’m going to make you pay for your little stunt earlier.”

Byleth raised a brow at him. Engaged or not, there was no way they would let go of their rivalry. Tilting her head up to reach his ear better, she hummed slightly, pretending to mull something over. She chuckled when she felt him shiver from the warmth of her breath, and leaned in even closer to whisper,

“Do your worst.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like i said this is more of an epilogue! thank you so much for reading my first fic! the comments are so kind and sweet and encouraging ;-; anyhow, i hope you have a great day, wherever you are!

**Author's Note:**

> I promised to the world I would give up writing forever when I wrote one direction fanfiction at the tender age of 12, but I have to be punished for my hubris. That was on Wattpad too so I have 0 clue how AO3 works tbh.


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